London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 22, 2026

Elon Musk overtaken as world's richest person by LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault

Elon Musk overtaken as world's richest person by LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault

The Twitter and Tesla chief executive had held the title of world's richest person since September 2021, when he overtook Amazon's Jeff Bezos to the top spot.

Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is no longer the richest person in the world after being usurped by LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault.

According to Forbes' real-time billionaires list, the 51-year-old's net worth decreased by $4.5bn (-2.9%) in comparison to Arnault, who oversees some 70 fashion and cosmetic brands, whose rose by $849m (0.46%).

Arnault's net worth is listed as $187.3bn (£151.1bn) on the Forbes list.

Back in October, Arnault hit headlines after he sold his private jet after Twitter accounts such as @i_fly_Bernard and @laviondebernard sprung up on the social media platform to track the billionaire's aircraft, revealing the amount of pollution they cause.

A year prior, the same happened to Musk. The SpaceX and Tesla chief described the tracker, which uses publicly available air-traffic information, as a potential threat to his safety - and offered the teenager behind the social media page $5k (£4k) to shut down the @ElonJet account, which was rejected. Today, the account has been suspended.

Musk's $176.8bn (£142.6bn) real-time net worth is based largely on his 25% ownership of Tesla, but stocks closed down 6.87% for the day today.

Stocks of the automotive company have more than halved in value this year partially due to a sell-off that accelerated in the wake of Musk's $44bn (£35.5bn) Twitter acquisition, CNBC reports, where he sold off approximately $4bn (£3.2bn) of Tesla stock.

Forbes said that the businessman's wealth peaked in November 2021 when he was worth $320bn (£258bn).


CEO of LVMH Bernard Arnault

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which uses slightly different methodologies, was updated on Wednesday and also ranked Musk's fortune behind Arnault.

Musk had been the world's richest man since September 2021, taking over from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Much of Musk's wealth is tied up in his private companies including rocket and internet firm SpaceX, infrastructure and tunnel construction services company The Boring Company, and Neuralink, which wants to put computer chips in people's brains.

According to Bloomberg, SpaceX, formerly known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp, is valued at around $140bn (£112.9bn) and dominates the market for commercial space launch.

Musk's dip in global wealth rankings comes shortly after he was greeted with "a lot of boos" during an awkward on-stage appearance at a Dave Chappelle comedy show in San Francisco.

In a clip posted to the mogul's Twitter account, Chappelle is seen asking audience members to "make some noise for the richest man in the world".

They promptly oblige, though likely not in the way either of the men intended. Trying to interject the hostile reaction, Musk spent most of the five-minute appearance awkwardly standing still or pacing around on stage.

In a now deleted tweet, Musk insisted that the crowd was "90% cheers" and "10% boos," which were a result of having offended "San Francisco's unhinged leftists".

A day after his appearance with Chappelle, Twitter dissolved its Trust and Safety Council, which was formed in 2016 to address hate speech, child exploitation, suicide, self-harm and other problems on the platform.

Shortly after buying Twitter for $44bn in late October, Musk said he would form a new "content moderation council" to help make major decisions, but later changed his mind.

Last week, three council members announced they were resigning in a public statement posted on Twitter that said "contrary to claims by Elon Musk, the safety and wellbeing of Twitter's users are on the decline".
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Universities and Industry Expand Space and Defense Research Partnerships
House of Lords Approves Social Housing Bill Amendments on Shared Ownership Rights
House of Lords Advances Civil Aviation Bill With New Passenger Protection Measures
UK Government Suspends Tariffs on Fertilizer and Food Imports to Reduce Costs
Russell Group Universities Support New UK Business Department Focused on Innovation
UK Parliament Opens Inquiry Into Transport Barriers Facing Young Jobseekers
Home Builders Federation Calls for Lower Costs as New UK Government Sets Housing Priorities
Andy Burnham Meets UK Devolved Leaders to Strengthen Regional Cooperation
Andy Burnham Holds First International Calls With Trump, Macron, and Zelenskyy
Andy Burnham Reshuffles Cabinet With John Healey Appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer
Andy Burnham Government Removes VAT From Electricity Bills to Cut Household Costs
Andy Burnham Becomes United Kingdom Prime Minister After Sir Keir Starmer Resigns
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
US Gasoline Returns to $4 as Renewed Iran Fighting Disrupts Oil Flows
Czech Central Bank Governor Rejects Early Euro Entry and Rate-Cut Pressure
Trump Orders 50% Tariffs on Selected Canadian Imports
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
US Judge Pauses Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery Merger Over Antitrust Concerns
NHS England Faces Growing Retention Pressure Among Younger Midwives
UK Data Centre Expansion Faces Water and Grid Capacity Challenges
UK Defence Shares Rise After John Healey Appointment and Continued Spending Commitments
OECD Urges UK Government to Review Pension Triple Lock to Protect Public Finances
Bank of England Keeps Cautious Approach as Energy Costs Threaten Inflation Progress
County Councils Call for Wider Devolution and Long-Term Social Care Funding Reform
IMF Urges UK Government to Maintain Fiscal Discipline as Growth Forecast Slows
Russian Warship Holds Live-Fire Exercises Near UK Coast as Royal Navy Monitors Activity
Mitie Agrees Three Point One Billion Pound Takeover by OCS in Another Blow to London Listings
JPMorgan Chase Warns Bank Levies Could Hit UK Growth and Drive Capital Away
UK Unemployment Holds at Four Point Nine Percent as Labour Market Shows Resilience
UK Government Borrowing Falls Below Forecasts as Treasury Receives Early Fiscal Boost
John Healey Cuts VAT on Household Electricity Bills After Cancelling National Digital ID Scheme
Andy Burnham Forms New Labour Government With Ten-Year National Renewal Plan
EU Imposes Record €550 Million Digital Services Fine on AliExpress
UK Publishes Updated Consumption-Based Carbon Emissions Data
English Regions Prepare for Expanded Devolution and Infrastructure Powers
Russell Group Backs New Government and Calls for Stronger University-Industry Links
Bank of England Maintains Restrictive Monetary Policy Amid Persistent Inflation
Climate Progress Report Renews Debate Over the UK's Net Zero Strategy
New UK Government Launches Drive to End Rough Sleeping and Expand Social Housing
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Appoints John Healey as Chancellor in Cabinet Reshuffle
OECD Calls for Structural Reforms as UK Economy Faces Slower Growth
International Monetary Fund Expects UK Economic Growth to Slow to One Percent in 2026
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils Decade-Long Reform Agenda
London’s Housing Starts Collapse as Planning and Building Costs Stall Development
Charlie Sheen’s Daughter: "My Dad Didn’t Buy Me a House, My Breasts Bought It"
Vivienne Westwood Casts Cicciolina, 74, in Its New Autumn Campaign
Dejavu: Germany’s Military Expansion Reshapes Europe’s Strategic Balance With France
Naturally Conceived Identical Quadruplets Born in Rare Brisbane Delivery
Tate Brothers Fight British Extradition Bid After Miami Arrests
×